Monday, December 17, 2012

Guns didn't kill the kids in Sandy Hook...

I had a couple entries in mind to write this weekend...something about Daemons and plans for Templecon; something about Historical Gaming including a short battle report and pics of unpainted 15mm American Civil War gaming...but I can't stop thinking about those kids and families at Sandy Hook Elementary.

For those that don't know, I live about 15 minutes from that school. My son's wrestling team just wrestled there a week before the incident. I understand that at least one of the kids on that Newtown wrestling team was killed. The kid my son wrestled was tossed in a closet by an amazingly brave teacher and kept alive.

I struggled on what to tell my kids. The youngest (3) we of course told nothing. The daughter (5) we told that a mean man did hurt a lot of little kids and teachers, and left it at that. My oldest we told a little more, but no details...just that many kids were killed in their school. I'm sure they'll have questions after today when their friends discuss it with them.

A co-worker has two kids in that school. He was called mid-meeting and left in a hurry. His kids are fine.

What has gotten under my skin this morning, however, is that this is being used as a rallying cry for anti-gun laws.

Guns didn't kill those kids, a mentally disturbed person that killed a legal gun owner and stole her weapons killed those kids. His hands, his fingers, his mind.

I have a lot of thoughts, and this will not be a cogent argument...the emotion is too close...but it boils down to this: some crazy wacko that's decided he's going to go kill a bunch of kids doesn't need a gone to do it.

I refer you to this Wikipedia article. Scroll down to the modern day stuff. Note that the majority of the attacks in the last few years have not been shootings, but have been stabbings, clubbings, hackings...kitchen knives, machetes, hammers. Even kids tossed out a window.

The gun laws in those countries did not prevent those atrocities. Those babies are just as dead, and their parents' lives are just as destroyed.

Also note that the killer at Sandy Hook tried to buy his own gun, and was refused.

HE ALREADY CAN NOT LEGALLY OWN A GUN.

I'm a gun owner. I own my guns for self defense, and recreation...though I haven't been shooting in years. I've legally purchased my guns, they are registered, and I abide by the law.

That guns were used is irrelevant. Guns are a tool, just like a hammer, a knife, a machete, a chainsaw, or a screwdriver.

What is relevant to me, and this is the point I'm trying to make, is that this guy was...to put it in very un-PC terms...bat-shit crazy.

He killed babies because he was bat-shit crazy.

How was this bat-shit crazy person allowed to roam the streets and have the opportunity to kill babies? I don't care if this bat-shit crazy asshole killed babies with a toothbrush or a Bushmaster or a Bazooka or a nuclear weapon....he's bat-shit crazy and should not have been on the streets.

Another example of this is Representative Giffords a few years ago. Another example of a bat-shit crazy asshole that was free to roam the streets untreated and allowed to destroy people.

Instead of using this as a rally cry for gun control...I mean, the laws we have not already prevented these two people from legally owning a firearm...maybe we should use it as a rally cry for mental health care. Maybe we should dedicate fewer resources to making it harder for law-abiding citizens to legally own fire warms and put more resources in to treating and care for the bat-shit crazy people so they stop killing our babies!

Personally, if my kid were amongst the victims, I could not care less what weapon or tool was used. I'd be asking why this bat-shit crazy person...who folks knew was bat-shit crazy...was allowed to be on the street, let along anywhere near my babies.

A quick disclaimor at the end here...I mean no disrespect to anyone. Emotions are a bit high now, I know my words are potentially hurtful to some, and I want to emphasize that I mean no harm. I apologize if I offend.